Hair curler



March 24, 1964 D. MAURE R HAIR CURLER Filed July 51, 1962 504 440 Q Mapfi? United States Patent 3,126,016 HAIR CURLER Donald D. Maurer, 154 Marks Road, Danviile, Calif. Filed July 31, 1962, Ser. No. 213,659 4 Claims. (Cl. 13237) The present invention relates to an improved hair curler of the type which is employed to roll up hair on a persons head into tight elongated curls.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair curler having means for releasably holding a curl of hair while a suitable pin such as a bobby pin is inserted into the curl to hold the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hair curler which is simple in structure, one which may be manufactured in quantity at reasonable cost, and one which is highly efiective in action.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the curler according to the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view,

FIGURE 3 is a view on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 showing the tongue and finger in engaged condition,

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the tongue depressed from the finger,

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the hair curler of the present invention,

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view showing the curler with an auxiliary cylinder attached thereto,

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of the cylinder removed from the hair curler,

FIGURE 8 is a view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG- URE 6, and

FIGURE 9 is a view taken on the line 9-9 of FIG- URE 6.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the hair curler of the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 10 and it consists in a horizontally disposed elongated base member 12 of U-shaped cross sectional configuration.

A fiat finger 14 is arranged longitudinally of and in superimposed spaced relation with respect to one half of the base member 12. A bridge 16 extends transversely over the base member 12 intermediate the ends of the latter and has its ends affixed to the free ends of the legs of said base member.

One end of the finger 14 is formed integrally with or secured to the bridge 16 so as to be rigidly positioned in spaced relation with respect to the adjacent portion of the base member 12.

The free end of the finger 14 is contiguous to the one end of the base member 12.

The other end of the member 12 remote from the free end of the finger 14 is provided with another bridge 18, formed integrally therewith, and on top of the bridge 18 is secured one end of a tongue 20 which is interposed between the finger 14 and the base member 12 and normally engages the underface of the finger 14.

The tongue 20 is of substantially the same length as the base member 12 and has its end portion adjacent the free end of the finger 14 bent downwardly as shown most clearly in FIGURE 3, such portion being designated by the reference numeral 22.

A pin 24 extends between the top of the bridge 16 and the bight of the base member 12 and circumposed about the portion of the pin 24 between the underface of the portion 22 and the inside of the base member 12 is a spring 26 biasing the tongue 20 to the normal position in 3,126,131 6 Patented Mar. 24, 1964 ICC engagement with the underface of the finger 14, as shown in FIGURE 3.

The present invention provides a wedge element 28 on the portion of the tongue 20 between the bridges 16 and 18 and slidable on the tongue 20 from a position free of the bridge 16 to a position under the bridge 16 wedging the tongue 20 to the downward position as shown in FIGURE 4.

The wedge element 28 includes an abutment portion 30 at one end and a finger rest portion 32 at the other end. The free end of the finger rest portion 32 is bent upwardly, as at 34, to form a means by which the wedge element 28 can be slid on the tongue 20 from the wedging position to the free position.

The wedge element 28 has tabs 36 on each side bent downwardly and under the tongue 20 so as to connect the wedge element 28 to the tongue 2@ for sliding movement therealong.

The end of the wedge element 28 remote from the end 34 is bifurcated, as at 38, so as to straddle the portion of the pin 24 beneath the bridge 16 and above the tongue 20.

The present invention provides an auxiliary cylinder of U-shaped cross sectional configuration, as at 40 in FIG- URES 6 to 9, inclusive, which may be removably attached to the portion of the base member 12 forwardly of the bridge 16. The cylinder 40 has flanges 42 and 44 on the upper end which are received in grooves provided by the upper edges of the base member 12.

In use, the curler 10 is employed to make curls on the head of a person by separating strands of hair and, with the tongue 20 in the depressed position shown in FIG- URE 4, the strand of hair is inserted between the tongue 20 and the finger 14 and then the wedge element 28 is withdrawn so as to tightly grip the hair between the finger 14 and tongue 20. Next, the strand of hair is wound from the free end thereof toward the head and a suitable pin such as a bobby pin is inserted into the space on either side of the finger 14 with one leg on one side and the other leg on the other side for gripping the strand of hair as wound in a coil. Next, the tongue 29 is depressed and the coil of hair is released over the free end of the tongue 20.

With the cylinder 40 in place upon the base member 12 the same method is used, the greater diameter of the base of the cylinder 20 permitting a larger curl to be made by the use of the invention.

While only a preferred form of the invention is shown and described, other forms are contemplated and numerous changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hair curler including a horizontally disposed elongated base member of U-shaped cross sectional configuration, a flat finger arranged longitudinally of and in superimposed spaced relation with respect to said member and having one end connected to said member intermediate the ends of said member and having the other end free and contiguous to one end of said member, a tongue disposed in the space between said member and said finger and having one end connected to said member adjacent the other end of said member, said tongue normally being engaged with the underside of said finger and being shiftable into said member and away from said finger responsive to finger pressure applied to the portion of said tongue between said finger and said member other end, and spring means operatively connected to said tongue biasing said tongue to the position engaging said finger, the improvement of a wedge element slidably mounted on said tongue and being operable to hold said tongue in the away position upon being inserted between 3,12ao1e a a said finger and said tongue when said tongue has been shifted to the away position.

2. In a hair curler including a horizontally disposed elongated base member of U-shaped cross sectional configuration, a fiat finger arranged longitudinally of and in superimposed spaced relation with respect to said member and having one end connected to said member intermediate the ends of said member and having the other end free and contiguous to one end of said member, a tongue disposed in the space between said member and said finger and having one end connected to'said member adjacent the other end of said member, said tongue normally being engaged with the underside of said finger and being shiftable into said member and away from said finger responsive to finger pressure applied to the portion of said tongue between said finger and said member other end, and spring means operatively connected to said tongue biasing said tongue to the position. engaging said finger, the improvement of a wedge element slidably mounted on said portion of said tongue and being operable to hold said tongue in the away position upon being inserted between said finger and said tongue when said tongue has been shifted to the away position.

3. In a hair curler including a horizontally disposed elongated base member of U-shaped cross sectional configuration, a fiat finger arranged longitudinally of and in superimposed spaced relation with respect to said'memher, a bridge extending transversely over said-member intermediate the ends thereof, said finger having one end fixedly secured to said bridge and having the other end free and contiguous to one end of said member, a tongue disposed in the space between said member and said finger and having one end connected to said member adjacent the other end of said member, saidvtongue normally being engaged with theunderside of said finger and being shiftable into said member and away from said finger responsive to finger pressure applied to the portion of said tongue between said finger and said member other end, and spring means operably connected to said tongue biasing said tongue to the position engaging said finger, the improvement of a wedge element slidably mounted on said tongue and being operable to hold said tongue in the away position upon being inserted beneath said bridge and between said finger and said tongue when said tongue has been shifted to the away position.

4. In a hair curler including a horizontally disposed elongated base member of U-shaped cross sectional configuration, a fiatfinger arranged longitudinally of and in superimposed spaced relation with respect to said memher, a bridge extending transversely over said member intermediate the ends thereof, said finger having one end fixedly secured to said bridge and having the other end free and contiguous to one end of said member, a tongue disposed in the space between said member and said finger and having one end connected to said member adjacent the other end of said member, said tongue normally being engaged with the underside of said finger and being shiftable into said member and away from said finger responsive to finger pressure applied to the portion of said tongue between said finger and said member other end, and spring means operably connected to said tongue biasing said tongue to the position engaging said finger, the improvement of a wedge element slidably mounted on said tongue and being operable to hold said tongue in the away position upon being inserted beneath said bridge and between said finger and said tongue when said tongue has been shifted to the away position, and an auxiliary cylinder of U-shaped cross sectional configuration and of a size larger than said member removably attached to said member.

References-Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,956,661 Tansey May 1, 1934 

1. IN A HAIR CURLER INCLUDING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ELONGATED BASE MEMBER OF U-SHAPED CROSS SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION, A FLAT FINGER ARRANGED LONGITUDINALLY BOF AND IN SUPERIMPOSED SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID MEMBER AND HAVING ONE END CONNECTED TO SAID MEMBER INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID MEMBER AND HAVING THE OTHER END FREE AND CONTIGUOUS TO ONE END OF SAID MEMBER, A TONGUE DISPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID MEMBER AND SAID FINGER AND HAVING ONE END CONNECTED TO SAID MEMBER ADJACENT THE OTHER END OF SAID MEMBER, SAID TONGUE NORMALLY BEING ENGAGED WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID FINGER AND BEING SHIFTABLE INTO SAID MEMBER AND AWAY FROM SAID FINGER RESPOPNSIVE OT FINGER PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE PORTION OF SAID TO TONGUE BETWEEN SAID FINGER AND SAID MEMBER OTHER END, AND SPRING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID TONGUE, BIASING SAID TONGUE TO THE POSITION ENGAGING SAID FINGER, THE IMPROVEMENT OF A WEDGE ELEMENT SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TONGUE AND BEING OPERABLE TO HOLD SAID TONGUE IN THE AWAY POSITION UPON BEING INSERTED BETWEEN SAID FINGER AND SAID TONGUE WHEN SAID TONGUE HAS BEEN SHIFTED TO THE AWAY POSITION. 